Audie murphy
To say Audie Murphy was a hero would be an understatement. With more than just a few medals for bravery while serving in the armed forces his name and memory have affected many since his untimely demise in 1971. His character still has a lasting impact on our soldiers who are on active duty. There is a Sgt Audie Murphy Club within the armed services that places a soldier in high esteem when receiving a medal of honor in his name. Many soldiers have been inspired by his bravery to give the extra mile while serving their country. Yet, even in this light, there was a softer side of Audie Murphy who was a writer and a poet. The following was retrieved from www.audiemurphy.com/poems.htm :
THE CROSSES GROW ON ANZIO
Oh, gather ’round me, comrades; and listen while I speak
Of a war, a war, a war where hell is six feet deep.
Along the shore, the cannons roar. Oh how can a soldier sleep?
The going’s slow on Anzio. And hell is six feet deep.
Praise be to God for this captured sod that rich with blood does seep.
With yours and mine, like butchered swine’s; and hell is six feet deep.
That death awaits there’s no debate; no triumph will we reap.
The crosses grow on Anzio, where hell is six feet deep.
In addition to Audie’s military and acting talents, he was also a songwriter. Two of his most popular songs are “Shutters and Boards” and “When the Wind Blows in Chicago.” He worked with Scott Turner on these two songs which were recorded by Dean Martin, Jimmy Dean, Roy Clark, Eddy Arnold to name a few. His forty-four movies gave him a social status as a caring and honest man who wanted Americans to get the best out of life.
He now has a foundation in his name:
The Audie Murphy Research Foundation is a non-profit, public benefit organization established for the purpose of collecting, preserving, and making available to the public historical information concerning the life and times of Audie Murphy. It was founded by Terry M. Murphy, Audie’s oldest son.
(www.audiemurphy.com).
When Audie discovered his dependence on a sleeping pill due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, he locked himself in a hotel room, and suffered through withdrawal in order to keep his image as the honest, brave man he was. He was always an advocate for the needs of the veterans and would speak out about his “battle fatigue”. He publicly called for United States government to give more consideration and study to the emotional impact war has on veterans and to extend health care benefits to address PTSD and other mental health problems of returning war vets (http://www.jrotc.org/audie_murphy.htm).
“In 1948, I returned to France at the invitation of French Government. It was still a war-ravaged country … but this time there was something different. I didn’t know what it was until one morning when I was taken to the grounds of a small French school. The children had been assembled in the play yard. They were grouped close together and arranged in wobbly little rows, their dark heads bobbing around like flower buds on long stems. One of the teachers rapped for silence. The kids quieted immediately and turned their eyes towards her. Their Faces were scrubbed and bright in the sunshine. The teacher raised her arms, and for a moment, there was no sound … Then the teacher brought her arms down and the kids began to sing … I Knew why I felt at home. The spirit of freedom was hovering over that play yard as it did all over France at that time. A country was free again. They were singing in French, but the melody was freedom and any American could understand that. America, at that moment, never meant more to me. Freedom is what America means to the world. And to me.” (http://www.jrotc.org/audie_quote.html)
Audie Murphy was more than just a hero; he was an American hero, full of faith, love for freedom, and desire to others excel in life and enjoy the things he did.
Works Cited
Poems by Audie Murphy. 20 August 2006. Audie Murphy Memorial Web Site. 21 November 2006 www.audiemurphy.com/poems.htm
About the Foundation. 20 August 2006. Audie Murphy Research Foundation. 21 Novemeber 2006 http://www.audiemurphy.com/amrf.htm
Audie Leon Murphy. 05 November 2005 Audie Murphy Web Site. 21 November 2006 http://www.jrotc.org/audie_murphy.htm
Audie Quote. 04 November 2005 JROTC ORG. 21 November 2006 http://www.jrotc.org/audie_quote.htm
